Features

How much fun can you pack into an indoor playground just 7.5-metres long and 1 metre deep? Leaps and bounds of fun, if you’re Playscheme! We created the Leaping Platforms Play Centre at Nailsworth Garden Centre in Gloucestershire to include loads of smart interactive sensor features. Light, sound and sight are key elements of this bespoke indoor playground, and we worked alongside Sound Leisure on features that help children aged two to 12 explore their senses through their imagination and creativity. Star of the show is a large interactive Perspex®light and sound “waterfall”, complete…

The ‘Let’s Explore’ Greenfingers garden opens at Richard House Children’s Hospice  Greenfingers Charity was delighted to be joined by children, families and supporters at the official opening of the charity’s latest garden project at London’s first children’s hospice, Richard House, on Thursday 27th June 2018.   Greenfingers Charity was delighted to be joined by five-year old Myles along with parents Jerry and Myra at the grand opening. In the glorious sunshine, Myles, along with Dan and charity Patron Ann-Marie Powell planted a magnolia tree to celebrate the “Let’s Explore” Garden, the…

Retailers seeking products of the future and the latest in-store merchandising ideas need look no further than the Retail Lab at Glee. Now in its third year, this inspirational feature area, in association with the Horticultural Trades Association, is bursting with ideas. In fact, 61% of Glee’s visitors say they will attend Glee 2019 as a result of seeing the Retail Lab last year. Here, we meet one of the sponsors of this year’s feature – the German pot, container and plant accessories manufacturer Scheurich, which is eager to demonstrate its latest creations when the Retail Lab throws open…

Artificial grass sales are booming, with one retailer* reporting a growth of 20% already this year – before the summer season has even begun. Last year thousands of British lawns were scorched, while this year homeowners are tackling boggy and muddy lawns due to heavy rainfall. For many, lawn maintenance is a costly headache, and of course there are those that just want to ditch the lawn mower so there is one less chore around the home. The team at Ultimate Grass (www.ultimategrass.co.uk) carried out a survey to really unearth why so many homeowners are opting to fake it, swapping…

Retailers seeking products of the future and the latest in-store merchandising ideas need look no further than the Retail Lab at Glee. Now in its third year, this inspirational feature area, in association with the Horticultural Trades Association, is bursting with ideas. In fact, 61% of Glee’s visitors say they will attend Glee 2019 as a result of seeing the Retail Lab last year. Here, we meet one of the sponsors of this year’s feature, Meadow View Stone, who brings over 25 years’ experience of supplying the widest range of imported and exclusive decorative aggregates and landscaping stone…

As the seasons change, so do your houseplant’s needs. Indoor vegetation is heavily affected by outdoor changes, so to ensure your plants bloom all through the summer, now is the time to start preparing for the upcoming season. Though some sun-loving plants like succulents and cacti are well adapted to high temperatures, plants that are kept indoors are not acclimated to the extremes of a summer heat wave. Leafy tropicals are particularly susceptible to damage from heat, and if too severely damaged, might not recover. There’s plenty you can do in advance of and during the summer months to…

ONE OF THE UK’s leading nurseries has this month (June, 2019) entered two new plants in to the New Plant Awards at the Horticultural Trades Association (HTA) National Plant Show.  Wyevale Nurseries, which is based in Hereford, has submitted Salvia ‘Amante’ and Agapanthus ‘Poppin Purple’ to the event, which takes place on June 18 and 19 at Stoneleigh Park in Coventry. Andy Johnson, Managing Director of Wyevale Nurseries, said: “The New Plant Awards at the HTA National Plant Show are sponsored by the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) and showcase the best in new plant introductions from UK…

As garden retailing continues to thrive, with double digit year-on-year growth, the future for our industry continues to look bright. One place where this optimism will shine through will be the forthcoming Glee exhibition (10th – 12th September, NEC Birmingham), where 550 plus suppliers will join with 7,000 UK and international key decision makers, buyers and trend setters, to showcase the future of gardening.   Matthew Mein, Glee’s Event Director, said: “The market is reporting a strong start to the 2019 season, with sales up 37% year-on-year. A combination of good weather, and consumers…

High demand expected for natural slug controls as metaldehyde disappears from store shelves in June Sipcam, the company behind the ecofective® brand of natural plant protection products, is rushing to meet demand from retailers who are stocking-up on environmentally-friendly slug controls ahead of the metaldehyde slug pellet ban on 30th June. Many garden centres and DIY retailers have now exhausted stocks of metaldehyde, with buyers placing orders for greener alternatives. Consumers have until spring 2020 to use-up their supplies, when outdoor use of metaldehyde must end. Ecofective®’s…

When you are looking to update your fleet of commercial mowers – the key things you’ll be considering are performance, durability and operator comfort. Proven by landscape professionals the Cub Cadet’s PRO Z Series of zero-turns will fulfill all your commercial requirements whilst providing a fast, premium quality cut. The patented SyncroSteer technology with steering wheel means that inexperienced operators can easily use the  steering wheel and dual hydrostatic transmission to control all four wheels, minimising the turf being churned by the wheels as it would on a lap bar zero-turn and…

A successful day and night of fundraising was had by all who recently attended the 10th annual GIMA Charity Day, held at Telford Hotel and Golf Resort on 6th June. Celebrating its 10th anniversary in 2019, the event brought together garden industry suppliers and retailers, with 18 four ball teamscompeting for the GIMA Golf trophy, and two teams battling it out on the new-for-2019 Crystal Maze course. This year saw the team from Hartman retain the golf crown having also won in 2018, with a superb score of 86. Sunshine Garden Centre and Mr Fothergills Seeds following closely behind with 85…

Manchester-based pet bed manufacturers Scruffs® have revealed a new range of luxury pet bedding, designed with a Mediterranean theme and vibrant colour ways. A company spokesperson said: “The Scruffs® Casablanca collection is ideal for use duringsummer months. Designed with a Mediterranean theme, the beds are upholstered in a soft breathable poly-cotton fabric and finished with a self-coloured piping & Scruffs® TPR logo. The base of the bed is covered with a non-slip fabric. Available in four vibrant colours; Grey, Mustard, Purple & Blue.” Dubby Klyne, Sales Director at Scruffs®,…

Confirmed exhibitors, both new and existing, are invited to join the forthcoming Glee Exhibitor Workshop (June 25th, Poplars Garden Centre in Toddington), where the team will be joined by leading retailers and partner agencies to help exhibitors maximise their time at the show. Recognising the significant investment of exhibiting, the one-day event is designed to help suppliers optimise their return on investment. Key sessions will focus on Glee’s dedicated marketing, logistics, PR and social media support, as well as advice on how to drive more pre-show buyer engagement. Details of Glee’s…

Staff at Haskins Garden Centre in Ferndown complete Virtual Marathon in aid of Faithworks Wessex Employees working at Haskins in Ferndown have completed a Virtual Marathon by foot, bike or water throughout May, in aid of Faithworks Wessex. In a bid to complete 26 miles each over the course of the month, staff attempted a range of challenges, to include: Kevin Holmes, Outdoor Manager completed a 26 mile static bike ride each week Pauline Oxford, Customer Services Team Leader completed a 10km run each week for 4 weeks Liz Smith, Retail Assistant swam 60 lengths twice a week Simon…

The final thrust for the 2019 shows is in full swing as the days count down to Exclusively 2019. With over 150 exhibitors, not only do we have more housewares and gifts exhibitors than at any other UK show, we can now delve deeper into the star-studded line-up and highlight what visitors can expect to see. A big trend that is emerging is that of exhibitor’s products with eco credentials.  25% of our exhibitors are showcasing products with eco credentials, including Eddingtons, Huski, Smidge, Neat Ideas and Dexam with qualities stated as biodegrageable, earth-friendly, minimal impact on the…

Following in the footsteps of Stephen Mangan, Rufus Hound, Tim Vine, Russell Kane and Hal Cruttenden, it has been confirmed that Vernon Kay, star of TV and radio, will host the 39th annual GIMA Awards. Vernon has had a varied career, starting in the world of modelling before moving into TV with the hugely popular Channel 4 show, T4.  From here, Vernon’s star continued to rise. He presented his own Radio 1 weekend show for six years, before moving to Radio X. ‘Mr Entertainment’, Vernon’s TV CV includes All Star Family Fortunes, Splash!,  ITV’s Beat The Star, Just the Two of Us (which he…